Trump Reduces Size of Two National Monuments in Utah

President Donald Trump has issued orders to reduce the size of the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments in Utah, cutting protections on nearly 3 million acres, which affects over 90% of each monument's area. The Grand Staircase-Escalante will lose nearly 1.7 million acres, while Bears Ears will be reduced from 1.36 million acres to approximately 121,000 acres. These cuts are more extensive than those made in 2017 when Trump previously reduced the size of these monuments. The Biden administration had restored the previous boundaries in 2021 and added 12,000 acres to Bears Ears. The practicality of resource extraction in these areas has been debated, with some officials stating there is limited energy potential. However, uranium mining has been identified as a more feasible option. Not all lands removed from the monuments are unprotected, as some remain within federal Wilderness Study Areas and Areas of Environmental Concern. National monuments are designated by presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act, while national parks are created by Congress. The changes to the monuments' boundaries have raised legal questions about the authority of a president to alter protections established by a predecessor.